We are all creative souls. Really. You may think to yourself, “Oh no – I don’t have a speck of creativity in me!” But wait a second. You surely do have capacities, aspirations, longings, and well, secret talents. You may think you aren’t creative.

But you are.

And having a creative outlet may, in fact, be an essential ingredient to a happy and healthy life. According to clinical neuropsychologist Catherine Carey Levisay: “There’s promising evidence coming out to support what a lot of crafters have known anecdotally for quite some time, and that’s that creating—whether it be through art, music, cooking, quilting, sewing, drawing, photography, cake decorating—is beneficial to us in a number of important ways.”

Here’s what science has to say about having a creative outlet. Creativity:

1. Improves mental health – when you engage in an enjoyable pastime, the reward centre in your brain releases dopamine, a natural anti-depressant. Here’s to improved mood and self-esteem!

2. Boosts cognitive health – creative expression improves connectivity between the 2 hemispheres of your brain, which improves problem-solving, reasoning and the brain’s overall processing speed. That is, crafting, for example, can help slow down aging!

You can be creative on your own. Or you can join a creative community – take a DIY workshop, for example – where you find kinship and support. And laughter. Lots of it!

So, if we can bring some balance to our mental and physical health by indulging our creativity, why not take advantage and welcome it into our lives? Grab a friend – or come solo – and join us at Homeworks Etcfor a DIY workshop. Let your paint brush and creative flag fly!